WHO: TB patients most vulnerable to COVID-19

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – are the most vulnerable to the COVID-19
pandemic, according to a recent report from the
(WHO).

During a teleconference on August 17 reviewing the activities of the
during the last six months and
outlining tasks for the remainder of the year, Director of the National Lung
Hospital and head of the programme Nguyen Viet Nhung said the rate of TB worldwide
fell 25 percent in the first half of this year. In Vietnam, it was down 11
percent.

Of the 2.4 million deaths caused by TB, HIV, and malaria around the
world during the period, 1.5 million died from TB due to a lack of access to
support services during the COVID-19-triggered lockdown.

Vietnam now ranks 11th out of the 30 countries and territories in
terms of TB and incidences of multi-drug-resistant
TB.

Forty-eight of its 63 cities
and provinces have lung and tuberculosis hospitals.

The programme has been
carried out in all wards, communes, and districts nationwide, giving access to everyone
in Vietnam.

In order to achieve the goal of eliminating TB by 2030, Nhung asked
localities to increase the discovery of incidences by using modern technology
and adopting new approaches to TB prevention and control./.